12 October 2017

InHeaven - InHeaven

InHeaven
have been making waves for the last few years, getting praise from all sections
of the press and fans alike. They have recently been headlining gigs around the country (Newcastle show review to be
posted soon), appeared on many festivals around the world and it all seems to
be going well for the London four-piece. Released on the 1st September
2017, InHeaven has been hailed as one of the best up and coming band and their
debut self-titled album is one of the best releases of the year. So, is
the hype justified?

01 – Baby’s Alright

The album starts with the ridiculously positive “Baby’s Alright”, musically it is overflowing with joyful music. All may seem well on the surface, but nothing is as it seems.Lyrically it has a few harsh things to say
about the world, but musically I have not heard anything with an indie tone
sound joyous.Every time this song
starts, a smile as wide as the mouth of the Hudson appears on my face and I cannot help
but lose myself in the moment.

02 – Treats

"Treats" is an old-school grunge/indie stomper, a hard-edge riff with angelic
vocals and a hint of Sonic Youth in the tone.But whilst it might have a retro vibe, it is bang up to date soundwise. It takes indie to the edge of what it can
offer in places, the bass is hypnotic and the drums are blistering. Any heavier and it starts to stray into metal, but InHeaven are wise to avoid those steps. "Treats" is a great number and one of the highlight
of their live sets, it is also a highlight of the album as well.

03 – Stupid Things

"Stupid Things" is a song about wanting to be with someone, but not having the courage to talk to
them, a tale that is as old as humanity itself. There is a shoegazer feeling to parts of the song, but it also has this
larger than life momentum to the horns that are on the song.It is a hybrid that brings the work of The
Sound Track of our Lives to mind, but InHeaven have added their own identity to
this song as well.It is a beautiful
song, one which has a lofty aim at its heart and it achieves this easily.

04 – Vultures

“Vultures” seems to be a song about
having the determination to get what you want, regardless of the people who
surround you and would see you fail so they can pick your bones.There is a punk vein that runs through this
song a mile wide, it is a track which sounds better when it is played as loud as
possible.It is another which will get
any crowd jumping with its catchy chorus and massive riff!

05 – All There Is

Once again InHeaven aim for the stars, hitting their target with a massive sounding tune. “All There Is” combines that shoegazing
feeling with a punk sensibility to create something unique and it sounds like
they have been doing this sort of thing for years!It is a track which improves with each
listen, with its subtle hooks that dig in deep.

06 – World on Fire

This song will be massive, if not it will be proclaimed as one of the hidden
gems of 2017 in many years to come.A
track which bashes a certain leader with small hands, it is politically charged
and full of anger about this man who is (for want of a better set of words) a
dick of the highest order in this and every other age of humanities
history.It is a massive track on this
album, one which I adore and with the kind of message I can get behind.

07 – Drift

Sadly, not every song can be a classic.You will always get a song which does not quite click in your mind, for
me that track is sadly “Drift”.Its a shoegazing song that is played
well, but it does not quite gel with the drums and it feels uncomfortable.It is not bad per se, but it is not as exciting as
other songs on this record either.

08 – Do You Dream

“Do You Dream” is a song that is
looking for answers, wondering if a lover feels the same about the protagonist when they
visit the land of nod.This song is all
out retro-indie anthem, one that immediately recalls the feeling of the sun going down
in the summer, the chill as the heat of the day goes and the promise of fun in
the night. "Do You Dream" is a gentle soul on this
record, one that loops around you and keeps you warm in the dark.It is short and to the point, which leaves
you wanting more.Another highlight on
this record, which seems to have top draw track in abundance.

09 – Real Love

"Real Love" is a song that has a classic rocker theme to the music, we are talking greaser rock
as well, the original rebel music for some people and it is wrapped in a love
song about wanting to run away from your troubles.“Real
Love” is possibly the most stylistic track on this album, making it stand
out from the crowd.It is not a
favourite to be honest, but it is still an enjoyable song that picks up pace as
it rolls along.

10 – Bitter Town

I love it when this band aims for the sky, they seem to have a knack of
hitting their target.“Bitter Town” is a song about those small
towns which seem to hold people back, but sometimes the person in question
doesn’t have the answers they require to escape their situation.There is also romance in the song as it seems
to be the anchor that is holding them back, but this is just my interpretation of
the chorus.I love the way this album
feels, the momentum behind the song and how good it sounds.

11 – Regeneration

How can one band have two stone cold classic on one album?It hardly seems fair in some ways, but that
is how the cookie crumbles.“Regeneration” is a song youthful
disenchantment, isolation and the desire to escape reality.The powerful words of this song would be redundant without the
music to back them up, something that InHeaven do not have to worry about.It is a great song, the highlight of the album
as it has the power to make thousands of people losing themselves for a moment, where they
will not feel alone because of the unity of this song.

12 – Velvet

Ending the album is “Velvet” which slows everything down to a very slow
pace.It is a beautiful moment, one
which pulls on the heart strings as their shoegazing music takes over the
world.It is a beautiful ending, one
that guides you down gently towards the door as the album finishes.

As debut goes, this is spot on.You are
not going to find anything as good coming out of indie music this year (well,
maybe Mogwai - but they are more Post Rock than Indie).I love the laidback
feeling of InHeaven which somehow manages to be energetic as well, the music is amazing and it has not been off my music player for the last week or so. They have captured a feeling of youthful discenchantment, the hungry for something new and it is all done with a fuzzy guitar peddle, a large bass and drum combo, mixing female and male vocals and attitude. Whilst it may not have been on my radar before I saw them live, it has made a massive impact for me. Buy InHeaven, go and see them live and prepare to be amazed.

Welcome to the final round-up review of 2017! Similar to the Round-Up posts I put up earlier in the year, I’m going to be posting some bull...

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Album scoring system

0 - This is proof there is no deity1 - You're really are touching the bottom of the barrel with this one2 - If only there was some quality control3 - It could have been a bit better4 - Well it's alright, but still......5 -Not for everyone but played well6 - Now I see where you were going, but it's not quite there7 - This is good and well worth a check8 - Oh, now you have my attention and maybe my money, time and heart9 - Almost perfect....Almost10 - This is proof there is a deity(For albums that are too crazy to be marked)Crazy Cat symbol - This album cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens

Singles/EP Marking System

0 - Only to be listened to by people bless with the gift of being deaf1 - Not so much on the bad that it is bottom of the barrel, but it can see the stuff down there2 - Not bad, not good - so average it is Zen3 - Decent, getting there4 - This is really good, well worth checking out5 - I wish I had extra ears to love this more(For Singles/EPs that are too crazy to mark)Crazy Cat symbol - This release cannot be marked, so here is a box of kittens